Calendar of Events

First Plenary of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)

The first session of the plenary of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) will be held at the World Conference Centre Bonn, hosted by the Government of Germany, from 21 to 26 January 2013, preceded by Regional Consultations and a Stakeholder Day on 19 and 20 January 2013 respectively.The meeting will aim to agree on the remaining rules of procedures for the meetings of the platform, consider other rules of procedure for the Platform, elect Bureau and Multidisciplinary Expert Panel members, and agree on the next steps by which the IPBES work programme can become operational as soon as possible.

Governments present at the second session of the plenary meeting to determine modalities and institutional arrangements for IPBES (Panama City, Panama, from 16 to 21 April 2012) decided to establish the Platform as an independent intergovernmental body.The plenary meeting requested UNEP, in collaboration with interested governments and UNESCO, FAO, UNDP and the Government of Germany, to provide the interim secretariat of IPBES.Plenary representatives of Governments decided to, in relation to the hosting of a single administrative Secretariat for the Platform, “invite UNEP, UNESCO, FAO and UNDP to submit a joint proposal, which should highlight possible collaborative arrangements in the joint administration of the Platform.